In the Wild

Hundreds Of Villagers Rush To Save Elephant Swept Away By Flood

Update (08/16/16) 10:46 AM EST: Sadly, on Tuesday, the elephant passed away from a heart attack, due to prolonged stress, heat and humidity, according to the New York Times.

An elephant lost her family, and nearly lost her life, before being saved in a rescue that was weeks in the making. Despite the efforts it took to get her safe and sound, the elephant had an entire village of people dedicated to seeing her rescue through.

The elephant became the victim of an extremely unlucky situation in early June when she was swept away from her herd in the midst of historic monsoon flooding in Assam, an Indian state located in the northeast region of the country.

"Hundreds of villagers came to its rescue when they saw the elephant had lost consciousness," Sayed Hossain, a veterinarian at the scene of the rescue, told AFP. "Dozens jumped into the pond and helped us tie the animal with ropes and chains. And finally, with the help of hundreds of villagers, we were able to pull it to dry ground."